John Katko after lunch with Trump: Both sides aren’t budging on shutdown

Updated Jan 15, 2019; Posted Jan 15, 2019

AP

Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., center, holds up a paper about President Donald Trump's proposals for the border, as he and other House Republicans speak to the media, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, after meeting with the president at the White House. Davis is joined by, from left, Reps. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, Susan Brooks, R-Ind., and Jack Bergman, R-Mich. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AP

“That was disturbing to me,” Katko said. “What would it hurt to come and talk about it.”

After the meeting, Katko said he was invited back to the White House for a second meeting Wednesday with the president and members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of moderate House Republicans and Democrats.

The Tuesday lunch was Katko’s first face-to-face meeting with Trump since the Queens native was elected president in 2016. The three-term congressman did not support or vote for Trump.

Katko has been among a small group of moderate House Republicans who have voted with Democrats over the past two weeks on bills to fund the government and end the shutdown, without including $5.7 billion for a border wall requested by Trump.

After the meeting Tuesday, Katko returned to the House and was among six Republicans to break ranks and vote for a new Democratic bill to open the government. Katko made a campaign promise when he first campaigned for office in 2014 to never support a government shutdown.

The issue of Katko’s voting record on the shutdown did not come up at Tuesday’s meeting with the president, he said.

“He talked and made it clear what his positions were,” Katko said of Trump. “He was very clear about what they were doing and why they were doing it. I was very thankful he didn’t vilify me for not voting to shut down the government.”

When given a chance to speak at the meeting, Katko said, he shared his perspective as a former drug prosecutor that a border wall has to be part of a comprehensive border security and immigration reform plan.

“We know border security is about more than security at the point of entry,” Katko said. “If you don’t have border security as well as barriers, then you won’t have border security.”